How to Fix "Your game requires a system restart to play"

"Your game requires a system restart to play. Please restart your computer." Think of this as your PC’s way of saying, “Hold up, I need a quick power nap before the fight.”

When you first install Vanguard, you’ll see this message, and the Play button will stay locked until you restart your computer. Usually a simple restart does the trick, and you’re back in the game! But if the message won't go away after countless restarts, then something might be blocking Vanguard from waking up properly.

Delete vgkbootstatus

  1. Navigate to C:\Windows
  2. Locate the file vgkbootstatus.dat and delete it
  3. Restart your device

Perform Clean Boot

Clearing up background processes can ensure other programs aren't fighting for the spotlight against your game.
 
We have a handy guide ready for you: How to Perform Clean Boot

Ensure you're not running on a Virtual Machine (VM)

Our games don't support being run inside a Virtual Machine. If you’re launching the game through software like VirtualBox, VMware, Parallels, or similar, the game may not start or may crash.

Launch the game directly on your Windows PC instead of inside a VM.

Add exceptions in your Firewall

Check out our Connection Troubleshooting Guide (PC) article for detailed steps on how to provide exceptions for the game and the Riot Client.

If you're running a third-party antivirus, temporarily disable them to see if the issue persists!

Still stuck after trying out all the steps? Scroll down and submit a ticket, our Support Team will be ready to jump in and get you back in the fight.

Was this article helpful?